Mawlid al-Barzanji

Preface
I commence [this] composition in the Name of the Supreme Being, seeking the outpouring of abundant blessings upon whatever He may enable it to achieve and bring about. Next, I extol [Him] and offer thanks whose sources are pure and refreshing, while mounted on the steed of comely thankfulness. Blessings and peace I invoke upon the Light described as first and foremost, passed on in features and upon brows most noble. I ask Allah Most High to bestow especial good pleasure upon the pure Prophetic family, embracing also his Companions, Followers, and all that truly follow them. I ask Allah for guidance in travelling by pathways clear and radiant; and for protection from straying into or approaching the tracts of error. shall unfold, from the story of the Prophet’s nativity, garments fair and vivid, assembling from [his] noble lineage a necklace whose beauty regales the listener. And I seek help from the strength and power of Allah Most Mighty; for truly there is no power or strength but through Allah.

Perfume, O Allah, his noble tomb with a fragrant scent of blessing and salutation
(O Allah, exalt him, preserve him and bless him.)

The Lineage of the Prophet
I declare that he is our liege-lord Muhammad, son of ‘Abd Allah, son of ‘Abd al-Muttalib whose [honorary] name was Shaybat al-Hamd and whose lofty traits were much praised; son of Hashim whose name was ‘Amr; son of ‘Abd Manaf whose name was Mughira and whose distinction attained great heights; son of Qusayy whose name was Mujammi’, named Qusayy because he dwelt far away in the remote lands of Quda'a until Allah Most High returned him to the Sacred Precinct, protecting his domain; son of Kilab whose name was Hakim; son of Murra; son of Kab; son of Lu’ayy; son of Ghalib; son of Fihr whose name was Quraysh and from whom the Quraysh are descended. His forebear was Kinani, by consensus of the majority," son of Malik; son of Nadr; son of Kinana; son of Khuzayma; son of Mudrika; son of Ilyas, who was the first to donate camels at the Sanctuary Precincts and in whose loins the Prophet (may Allah exalt and preserve him) was heard invoking Allah Most High and saying the Talbiya; [he was] the son of Mudar; son of Nizar; son of Maadd; son of ‘Adnan.
This is a necklace whose unique gems are strung together by the fingertips of the lofty Sunna. To trace it back unto Ibrahim al-Khalil (the Close Friend [of Allah]), peace be upon him, the Lawgiver forbore and demurred. But ‘Adnan was beyond doubt, according to those knowledgeable in genealogy, the scion and descendant of Isma’il al-Dhabih (the Sacrificial One).
How wondrous, then, this necklace of glistening stars of pearls! And how could it be otherwise, its chosen centrepiece being the Noblest of Masters?

A lineage so exalted that you would think Gemini
had decked it out with its stars’ finery.
How lovely a necklace of mastery and pride,
whose unique, closely guarded pearl is you!

A lineage most noble, which Allah Most High kept pure from the fornication (sifah) of pre-Islamic times. As Zayn [al-Din] al-‘Iraqi recounted in his Mawrid al-hani.

‘In honour of Muhammad, God protected
his noble ancestors, safeguarding his name.
Fornication they shunned, unshamed thereby,
from Adam to [the Prophet's] father and mother.

High-born [forebears], through whose radiant features there coursed the light of Prophethood! And the full moon [of Prophetic light] shone forth upon the brows of Abd al-Muttalib and his son Abd Allah.

Perfume, O Allah, his noble tomb with a fragrant scent of blessing and salutation
(O Allah, exalt him, preserve him and bless him.)

Events preceding His Birth
When Allah desired to display His Muhammadan Reality, and to manifest him in body and spirit, in form and in meaning, He transferred him to a settling-place in the mother-of-pearl of Amina, descendant of Zuhra’. The All-Near, the Answerer, chose her to be the mother of His Chosen One. It was proclaimed in the heavens and on earth that she was the bearer of [the Prophet’s] luminous being. Every ardent lover regained his youth in the breezes of his fragrant zephyr. After a lengthy drought, the earth was clad in brocade robes of greenery. Fruits ripened, and trees bent low, offering their bunches to all who sought to pick them. Every tame beast belonging to Quraysh spoke of his being borne in the womb — in Arabic, the most eloquent of tongues. Thrones and idols fell flat on their faces and mouths. Wild beasts of east and west and creatures of the sea rejoiced together0. All realms of being sipped joyfully from the goblet of excitement over him. The jinn were given the good tidings of the foreshadowing of his era; soothsayers were weakened and monks filled with awe. Every well-informed non-Muslim scholar (hibr) spoke of him, lost in wonder at the sweetness of his beauty. And his mother had a vision while she slept; and she was told: ‘You are pregnant with the Leader of the Universe and the Best of Creation. So when you have given birth to him, name him Muhammad (the Praised One); for his ultimate destiny shall indeed be praised.’

Perfume, O Allah, his noble tomb with a fragrant scent of blessing and salutation
(O Allah, exalt him, preserve him and bless him.)

His Nativity
Then two full months after his conception, according to the narratives well acknowledged, his father ‘Abd Allah passed away in the Illumined City. He had gone to visit his maternal uncles of Banu Adi, from the tribe of Najjar, and remained there one month as an invalid, while they took care of [him in] his sickness and his suffering. And when nine lunar months of pregnancy with [the Prophet] had passed, and the moment drew nigh for his appearance, there came to his mother, upon the night of his noble birth, Asiya and Mary with [other] women from the Sacred Fold [of Paradise]. She went into labour and gave birth to him, may Allah bless him and grant him peace — a light of shining splendour.

O Allah, bestow Your blessings, peace, and sanctifications upon our master Muhammad and the family of our master Muhammad, as You bestowed peace upon our master Ibrahim and the family of our master Ibrahim. And bless our master Muhammad and the family of our master Muhammad, as You blessed our master Ibrahim and the family of our master Ibrahim, in all the worlds. Indeed, You are Praiseworthy and Glorious, in numbers as vast as Your creation, in accordance with Your pleasure, by the weight of Your throne, and by the extent of Your words — as many times as those who remember You do so, and as many times as those who neglect Your remembrance remain heedless.

A face as radiant as the sun;
a moon-bright night displayed him.
A birth-night and -day that for faith were joy and flowering;
a birth that to the fortunes of unbelief were a bane and disaster:
the day [Amina] the daughter of Wahb gained, in bearing him,
a source of pride such as no woman before had gained.
To her folk she brought one greater yet than the Virgin Mary had borne before her.
Proclamations of the glad tidings came, one after another: ‘The Chosen One is born, and joy is realised!’

Now, Imams of tradition and insight have commended the practice of standing up while his noble birth is mentioned. Blessed, then, is he whose greatest wish and aim is to exalt him, may Allah preserve and exalt him.

Perfume, O Allah, his noble tomb with a fragrant scent of blessing and salutation
(O Allah, exalt him, preserve him and bless him.)

His Nativity, continued
He emerged, may Allah exalt and preserve him, with his hands placed upon the ground and his head raised towards the lofty heavens, thus indicating his lordship and exalted rank and showing his pre-eminence over the rest of creation — and that he was [God’s] Beloved, whose character and disposition were excellent.
His mother called for Abd al-Muttalib, who was performing Tawaf around that Edifice. He came in haste, and upon looking at [his grandson] became as joyful as he could [ever] have wished. He brought him to the Glorious Kaba and stood supplicating with sincere intent, thanking Allah Most High for what He had favoured and blessed him with.
He was born, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, clean, circumcised, and with his umbilical cord cut by the hand of Divine Providence; sweet-smelling, anointed, and with his eyes lined with the kohl of [Divine] concern. It is [also] said that his grandfather circumcised him after seven full nights. He held a birth-feast (walima), fed people, named [his grandson] Muhammad, and [thus] ennobled his home.

Perfume, O Allah, his noble tomb with a fragrant scent of blessing and salutation
(O Allah, exalt him, preserve him and bless him.)

Portents
At the time of his birth there appeared miracles and wondrous signs from the Unseen, presaging his prophethood and announcing him to be the Elect, the Chosen One of Allah. The sky was made secure as a protection from, and to repel, rebellious jinn and beings with satanic souls. Shooting stars pelted every accursed being as soon as it tried to ascend. Brilliant stars approached [the Prophet], may Allah bless him and grant him peace; and by their light every hill and dale of the Sacred Precinct was illuminated. With his birth there emerged a light that lit up the palaces of the Byzantine emperor in Syria, and which was seen by those who lived and dwelled in the valley basins of Makka.
Cracks formed in the vaulted palace of the Persian emperor at Ctesiphon, the ceiling of which was raised and formed by Anushirwan [an earlier emperor]. Fourteen of its high balconies collapsed; and the empire of the Khusraw was shattered by the terror that struck and laid it bare. The fires which were worshipped in the lands of the Persians were extinguished by the rising of his luminous full moon and the effulgence of his countenance. The Lake of Sawa, which lay between Hamadan and Qum in the lands of the Persians, receded and dried out, its once copious waves stilled and the sources of its water stopped. Yet the valley of Samawa, a flat and arid expanse which had hitherto been devoid of means to quench the thirst of anyone with a parched mouth, overflowed with water.
His birthplace, may Allah exalt and preserve him, was the place in Makka known as al-‘Iras, a locality in which trees may not be cut down or plants uprooted. As to the year, month, and day of his birth, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, the opinions recorded from the learned differ. The majority view is that it was soon after first light on Monday the twelfth of Rabi’ al-Awwal, in the Year of the Elephant which Allah kept out of the Sanctuary (Haram), thus safeguarding it.

Perfume, O Allah, his noble tomb with a fragrant scent of blessing and salutation
(O Allah, exalt him, preserve him and bless him.)

His Childhood
His mother breastfed him, may Allah exalt and preserve him, for some days; then Thuwayba al-Aslamiyya did so, she whom Abu Lahab had freed when she brought him the good news of his birth, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. She suckled him together with her son Masruh and with Abu Salama, and she was kind to him. Before him, she had suckled Hamza, whose sallies to fight for the Faith were to earn high praise. [The Prophet] may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to send [Thuwayba] gifts and clothing from Madina, which she well merited, until the appointed time came for her to be entombed and interred. It is said that she died following the pre-Islamic religion of her people; but it is said also that she became Muslim — a difference of opinion recorded and reported by Ibn Manda.
Next he was breastfed by the noble Halima al-Sa‘diyya. Her services had been turned down and refused by all the townsfolk, owing to her poverty. Yet before nightfall her previously straitened position had turned into one of abundance. She began producing copious quantities of milk as white as the finest pearls. He was fed with milk from the right breast, may Allah exalt and preserve him, and his foster-brother with milk from the other. Then, after lean times and poverty, she became prosperous; and the old she-camel and the sheep she had grew plump. She was relieved of all troubles and afflictions, and good fortune embroidered and adorned the raiment of her goodly, happy life.

Perfume, O Allah, his noble tomb with a fragrant scent of blessing and salutation
(O Allah, exalt him, preserve him and bless him.)

His Childhood, continued
He would grow in one day as much as [other] children grow in a month, thanks to Divine Solicitude. Thus he could stand up on his feet at three [months] and walk at five; and at nine months he had the power to speak with eloquence. At that [age] also, two angels clove his noble chest and extracted from it a clot of blood. They removed from it the portion of Satan, and washed [his heart] with ice. And they filled it up with wisdom and the inner realities of faith, then stitched up [his chest] and marked him with the Seal of Prophethood. They also weighed him; and he outweighed a thousand of his Nation, a Nation of [known] superiority.
He grew up, may Allah exalt and preserve him, with the most perfect qualities from infancy. [Halima] then returned him to his mother, though she was loath to, as a precaution lest any disastrous thing befall him as she feared. [Halima] visited him during the days of [his marriage to] the virtuous lady Khadija, and he gave her gifts out of his generosity more copious than the rain. She came before him also upon the Day of Hunayn, when he stood up for her and wholeheartedly spread out his noble cloak for her [to sit on], doing so with generosity and kindness. The truth is that she embraced Islam together with her husband, sons and daughters; and both [she and her husband] are reckoned among the Companions by a group of reliable narrators [of Hadiths].

‘Abd al-Muttalib and Abu Talib
When he reached the age of four, may Allah preserve and exalt him, his mother took him to [what would later become] the City of the Prophet. She then set off homewards, but passed away at Abwa, or on the mountain path of Hajun. Umm Ayman the Ethiopian, his nanny, whom [the Prophet later] married to his client Zayd ibn Haritha, took him and brought him to Abd al-Muttalib, who embraced him, treated him tenderly, and undertook to bring him up. He declared: “This son of mine is destined for greatness, so bravo to anyone who respects and befriends him!
Even in childhood, his forbearing soul would never complain about hunger or thirst. Many a time he would rise in the morning and make do with nothing but Zamzam water as a meal. When the steeds of fate [i.e. death] came to kneel in the courtyard of his grandfather Abd al-Muttalib, his paternal uncle, the full brother of Abd Allah, assumed responsibility for him. He cared for him with strong resolve, warmth, and dedication, preferring him to himself and his own children and raising him well.
When he reached the age of twelve, may Allah exalt and preserve him, his uncle Abu Talib took him on a journey to the lands of the Levant. [There] the monk Bahira recognised him by the signs of Prophethood that he [had already] acquired. Said he: ‘I see him to be the Leader of the Worlds, and the Envoy and Prophet of God. Trees and rocks have bowed before him; and they do so only unto a Prophet who is ever humbling himself before [God]. We find him described in the ancient heavenly Scriptures: “and between his shoulder-blades shall be the Seal of Prophethood. He shall be filled and elevated by light.”[Bahira] told [the Prophet’s] uncle to take him back to Makka, fearing lest harm befall him from people of the Jewish faith; and so he returned with him, having passed no further than Busra in the holy land of the Levant (Sham).

Perfume, O Allah, his noble tomb with a fragrant scent of blessing and salutation
(O Allah, exalt him, preserve him and bless him.)

Adulthood
When he had reached the age of twenty-five, may Allah exalt and preserve him, he travelled to Busra to trade on behalf of the noble lady Khadija. With him went her male servant Maysara, to serve him and attend to his needs. He dismounted and rested beneath a tree close by the monastery of Nestor (Nastura), a Christian monk, who recognised him [as a foretold Prophet] when the ample shadow of the tree bent towards him to shade him. He said: ‘No one has ever rested beneath this tree but a Prophet possessed of pure traits of character, or an Emissary [of God] whom God has singled out by conferring on him [special] favours.’ He then asked, ‘Is there some redness in his eyes?’ — seeking thereby to make known a secret indication. ‘Yes,’ replied [Maysara], thus confirming [Nestor’s] theory and intuition.
[Nestor] then told Maysara, ‘Be not away from him [for a moment]. Be with him, with sincerity, resolve, and goodly inner thoughts. For he is indeed one of those whom Allah Most High has chosen and ennobled with Prophethood.’
Marriage
The Prophet then returned to Makka, where Khadija, who was with a group of women, saw him approaching with two angels above his noble head shading him from the sun. Maysara informed her that he had seen that happen throughout their journey; and also about what the monk had said to him and the parting advice he had given. Allah had made that trading [journey] highly successful and profitable.
It became clear to Khadija, from what she saw and heard, that [Muhammad] would be the Emissary of Allah unto mankind. She herself then proposed to him, so that she might enjoy the sweetness of his scent by believing in him. He then informed his uncles of the marriage proposal of that pure and righteous lady. They were delighted, on account of her virtue, piety, beauty, wealth, sufficiency, nobility of birth, and lineage such as any of the community would have desired. Abu Talib gave an engagement speech praising him, may Allah exalt and preserve him, in which after praising Allah he extolled [Muhammad’s] laudable qualities. He said: ‘By Allah, immense renown awaits him, whereby his deeds shall earn great praise.’
[Khadija] was given to him in marriage, may Allah exalt and preserve him, by her father — or, as is also said, by her father’s brother or else by her own brother — all in accordance with the fortunate destiny decreed for her before time began. She it was who would bear all his children, except for the one he named [Ibrahim] after the Close Friend (al-Khalil) [of Allah].

Perfume, O Allah, his noble tomb with a fragrant scent of blessing and salutation
(O Allah, exalt him, preserve him and bless him.)

The Dispute over the Black Stone
When he had attained the age of thirty-five, may Allah exalt and preserve him, the Quraysh rebuilt the Kaba, which had been damaged by floods in the Abtah valley of Makka. They fell into dispute over the lifting [into position] of the Black Stone, each one of them wanting and hoping to lift it. The talk became extreme, and being overcome by fanatical tribalism they swore that they would fight. Then they called one another to arbitration, and so they entrusted the matter to a person of sound opinion and concern. He ruled that the arbitration be made by the first man to enter [the Haram] by the Sadana al-Shaybiyya Gate. The Prophet, may Allah exalt and preserve him, was the first to enter; and [those present] said, ‘This is the Trusty One, and we all accept and are content with him.’ They informed him that they were content that he be the arbiter having the final decision in this crisis. [The Prophet] then laid the Stone on a cloth; and he next instructed that [representatives of] all the tribes lift it into position. And so they raised it to its place, each holding one corner of the cloth. He himself, may Allah exalt and preserve him, placed it in its present position with his noble hand, completing the structure.

Perfume, O Allah, his noble tomb with a fragrant scent of blessing and salutation
(O Allah, exalt him, preserve him and bless him.)

The First Revelation
When his fortieth year was complete, according to the most accurate narrative accounts, Allah the Exalted sent him [as a Prophet and] as bearer of good tidings and as a warner to the Universe, thus imbuing [all] with His Mercy. It began, for full six months’ duration, with clear, veridical dreams: no dream did he have but it would come as [bright] as the daybreak resplendent in the morning. It began with dreams in order to train his human resilience, so that [the appearance of] the Angel in [his time of] full Prophethood would not overwhelm him to an extent beyond his power to withstand. Solitude became dear to him, and he would devote himself to worship on [Mount] Hira for a number of [successive] nights, until the Manifest Truth came to him and caused him to speak. That came to pass on Monday, the seventeenth day of the month of the Night of Destiny. There are also [opinions] favouring the twenty-seventh or [twenty]-fourth of that month, or the eighth of the month of his birthday, in which the full moon of his countenance first appeared.
[The Angel Gabriel] told him, ‘Recite!’ but he refused, whereupon he embraced and squeezed him tightly. He then [again] said ‘Recite!’ but he refused, whereupon he pressed him a second time until he reached the limit of [the Prophet’s] endurance. [Gabriel] then said ‘Recite!’ but he refused, whereupon he pressed him again. [This was done] in order that he might be wholly attentive to that which was about to be revealed to him, and receive the Inspired Dictation with gravity and diligence.
There ensued an intermission in the Revelation of either three years or thirty months, so that [the Prophet] might yearn to inhale those fragrant exhalations. Then [the Sura] ‘O Enwrapped One”0 was revealed to him, and so Gabriel came to him and called to him [once more]. There is evidence that his Prophetic mission (nubuwwa) preceded his mission as Emissary (risala), in that ‘Recite in the Name of your Lord’ was the first [Revelation], and that he had proclaimed good tidings and warnings to those whom he called [to Islam] before that.

Perfume, O Allah, his noble tomb with a fragrant scent of blessing and salutation
(O Allah, exalt him, preserve him and bless him.)

The First Believers
The first man to believe in him was Abu Bakr, Companion in the Cave and possessor of Siddiqiyya (the highest spiritual degree of Perfume, of attachment to truth). The first boy was ‘Ali and the first woman Khadija, through whom Allah made his heart firm and protected him. The first client (mawla) was Zayd ibn Haritha; and the first slave Bilal, whom Umayya tortured [for his belief] in Allah and whom his [next] patron Abu Bakr freed the moment that he became his patron. The next to embrace Islam were ‘Uthman, Sa‘d, Said, Talha, [Abd al-Rahman] Ibn Awf, and the son of [the Prophet’s] aunt Safiyya [Abd Allah ibn Zubayr], and others who were given to quaff the pure wine of total faith and commitment (tasdiq) poured by [Abu Bakr] al-Siddiq. His worship, may Allah exalt and preserve him, and that of his Companions remained covert, until this was revealed to him: ‘Proclaim, then, that which you are bidden’ whereupon he began calling people to Allah. His people did not distance themselves from him until he denounced their deities and enjoined that all beliefs aside from [Divine] Uniqueness be discarded. They then struggled brazenly against him with hostility and harm. The troubles of the Muslims grew in intensity, leading them to emigrate, in the fifth year [of the Prophetic era], to the land of the Negus [King of Ethiopia]. [The Prophet’s] uncle Abu Talib sympathised with him, and so all his kinfolk took care of him and gave him protection.
The Ritual Prayer
It was made obligatory for him to stay up [in prayer] for some hours of the night; but that was then abrogated by [Allah] the Most Exalted saying, ‘So recite an easy amount of it, and establish the ritual prayer.’’ It was also made obligatory for him to offer two rak’as in the early morning and two rak’as in the late evening. This was later abrogated, by the imposition of the five daily prayers, on the night of his Celestial Journey.
The Year of Sadness
Abu Talib passed away in the middle of Shawwal of the tenth [year of Prophethood]; and with his death opposition [to the Prophet] intensified. Khadija followed [Abu Talib in dying] three [days] later. The tribulation of the Muslims became dire, holding them fast in its grip. Quraysh caused all [kinds of] harm to him, may Allah exalt and preserve him. He went off to Ta’if to call Thaqif [to Islam] but they did not respond by receiving him with kindness. They unleashed against him fools and slaves, who reviled him with filthy tongues and pelted him with rocks until his sandals were soaked with blood. He then returned to Makka, sorrowful; and the Angel of the Mountains asked him whether to destroy the people [of Ta’if] in their fanaticism. But he replied, ‘I hope that Allah may bring forth from their loins people whom He will protect and befriend.

Perfume, O Allah, his noble tomb with a fragrant scent of blessing and salutation
(O Allah, exalt him, preserve him and bless him.)

The Night Ascension
After that, he ﷺ was conveyed — in body and spirit, and in a waking state — from the Sacred Mosque [in Makka] to the Furthest Mosque [in Jerusalem] and its sacred precincts. He was also made to ascend into the heavens. There he saw Adam in the first [heaven], and he (Muhammad) was revered and elevated. In the second [heaven] he saw Isa (Jesus), son of the pure, chaste and virtuous Mary, as well as [Jesus’] cousin Yahya (John the Baptist), who was granted sound judgement in his childhood. In the third [heaven he saw] Yusuf (Joseph), the Siddiq, in his beautiful form. In the fourth [he saw] Idris, him whom Allah raised unto a station lofty and exalted. In the fifth [he saw] Harun (Aaron), dear to the Israelite nation. In the sixth [he saw] Musa (Moses), him with whom Allah spoke directly and intimately. In the seventh [he saw] Ibrahim (Abraham), who brought unto Allah an unblemished heart and inward excellence, and whom Allah protected and saved from the fire of Nimrod.
He then proceeded to the Lote Tree of the Furthest Limit, until he could hear the rustling of pens [inscribing] the decrees of Destiny; and thence to the Station of Direct Meeting, which Allah caused him to approach and draw nigh unto. [Allah] removed for him the veils of Majestic Lights, outspreading before his very eyes the carpet of special favour' (idlal) in theophanies of the Divine Entity.
[Allah] also imposed fifty prayers [daily] upon him and his Community. The clouds of Munificence then poured down rain, and [the number] was reduced to five, which actions carry the reward of fifty, as [Allah] had pre-eternally willed and decreed.
He then returned [to Earth and to Makka] the same night. His [account of his Ascension] was accepted by [Abu Bakr] al-Siddiq, and by all intelligent and reflective people. The Quraysh accused him of lying; and some people, whom Satan misguided and led astray, apostatised.

Perfume, O Allah, his noble tomb with a fragrant scent of blessing and salutation
(O Allah, exalt him, preserve him and bless him.)

More Conversions
He presented himself before the tribes, during their seasonal [festival] days, as the Emissary of Allah.' Six of the Ansar believed in him, [men] whom Allah had singled out for His good pleasure. The next [year], twelve of the Ansar tribesmen went on Hajj and pledged loyal allegiance to him. They then left, and Islam made its first appearance in Madina, which [later] became his abode and refuge. In the third year [of his Prophethood] there came to him either seventy or [seventy] three [men] and two women of the Aws and Khazraj tribes. They swore allegiance to him; and he appointed over them twelve chiefs, men of distinction and high rank.
Members of the Muslim community from Makka [now] emigrated to [join] them, leaving their homelands in eagerness for that [reward] which awaits all who forsake unbelief and leave it behind. The Quraysh feared that he, may Allah exalt and preserve him, might join his Companions [there] forthwith. They therefore conspired to kill him; but Allah protected him and delivered him from their plotting.
Leaving Makkah
He was [now] given leave [by Allah] to emigrate. The polytheists kept a close watch on him, thinking to lead him into the pools of a deadly fate. But he went out to [thwart] them, strewing and scattering dust over their heads.' He set out for the Cave of [Mount] Thawr, and [Abu Bakr] al-Siddiq gained the triumph of accompanying him. The two of them stayed there for three [days], the doves and the spider safeguarding his safe haven. They then emerged, he (may Allah exalt and preserve him) riding on the best of mounts. Suraqa came upon him, whereupon [the Prophet] supplicated and prayed to Allah for help against him. The legs of [Suraqa’s] horse sank, plunging him into the hard, unyielding ground. [Suraqa] begged him for clemency, which he granted him.

Perfume, O Allah, his noble tomb with a fragrant scent of blessing and salutation
(O Allah, exalt him, preserve him and bless him.)

Umm Ma'bad and Abu Ma’bad
He passed, may Allah exalt and preserve him, through [the lands of] Qudayd, [and there met] Umm Ma'bad of [the tribe of] Khuza'a. He wanted to buy some meat or milk from her, but her tent contained nothing of that kind. He looked at a ewe in the tent whose emaciated state had left her too weak to graze, and asked leave of [Umm Ma'bad] to milk her. She gave him leave, but said “Had there been any milk in her, we would surely have had it.” He then stroked [the ewe’s] udder and prayed to Allah, his Master and Protecting Friend. Her milk then flowed in abundance, and he milked her and gave the entire clan their fill to drink. He then milked her once more, filling a container which he left with [Umm Ma bad] as a manifest token.
When Abu Ma bad came and saw the milk, he was filled with extreme amazement. “Whence came you by this?” he asked. “No milch-sheep is there in the tent that can yield one drop of milk!” A blessed man came our way,’ [his wife] replied. ‘Thus and thus is his appearance, and thus and thus his character.’ Said he, ‘This is the man of Quraysh!’ And he swore by all his gods that should he see him he would believe in him, follow him, and remain [ever] close to him.
His Entry into Madina
The Prophet, may Allah exalt and preserve him, arrived in Madina on Monday the twelfth of Rab’i al-Awwal. All of its pure districts were illumined by him. The Ansar came to meet him, and he dismounted at Quba, where he established his mosque upon a foundation of surpassing piety.

Perfume, O Allah, his noble tomb with a fragrant scent of blessing and salutation
(O Allah, exalt him, preserve him and bless him.)

His Perfections, Outward and Inward
He was, may Allah exalt and preserve him, the most perfect of mankind in form and in character, lofty in person and in attributes. He was of average height; of whitish complexion, together with some ruddiness; with large eyes, which were dark as if with collyrium, long eyelashes, and perfect arched eyebrows. There were small gaps between his teeth; his mouth was wide and beautiful. His forehead was wide, and his brow shone like a crescent moon. His cheeks were smooth. A slight prominence was visible in his nose, which was aquiline and handsome. His shoulders were broad, [and he had] large and fine hands and fingers. He was large-jointed, with heels that were not fleshy. His beard was thick, his head was large, and his hair reached down to the lobes of his ears. Between his shoulder-blades was the Seal of Prophethood, filled and prominent with light. His sweat was like pearls, and his scent more fragrant than wafts of musk. When walking he would lean forward, as if descending a slope he had ascended.“He would shake the hand of anyone who shook his noble hand, and they would experience from it an exquisite fragrance that lasted the rest of the day. He would pat with [his noble hand] the head of a child, who could then be identified amongst other children as the one he had touched. His noble face shone as does the moon on the nights when it is fullest. Anyone describing him would say, ‘Neither before nor since have I seen the like of him, nor will any mortal man do so. He, may Allah exalt and preserve him, was exceedingly modest and humble: he would mend his own sandals, patch his clothes, milk his animals, and go about serving his family in a noble manner. He loved the poor and the destitute, sat with them, visited them when they were ill, and attended their funerals. He did not despise any poor person whom poverty had reduced to a miserable condition. He accepted [people’s] excuses, and would not confront anyone with anything from him that they would dislike. He would walk along with widows and slaves. He did not hold kings in awe. He would be angered [only] for the sake of Allah Most High, and pleased for His sake alone. He would walk behind his Companions and say, ‘Leave my back for the spiritual angels.’, He would ride on a camel, a horse, or a mule, or a donkey which some king had given him as a present. He would tie a stone to his stomach to ward off hunger, even though he had been given the keys of the Earth’s treasuries. The mountains tried to entice him, offering him gold, but he refused. He was little given to levity. When meeting anyone, he would be the first to greet them. In the Friday Congregation he would make the prayer lengthy but the sermon brief. He would win over people of nobility and honour people of virtue. He used to make jokes, but without saying anything but what was true and what Allah Most High liked and would be pleased by. At this point the charger upon which our discourse is mounted has come to a halt, ceasing its unbroken canter on the racetrack of exposition; and the willing steed (dha'in) of dictation has reached its ultimate destination in the desert tracts of elucidation.

Perfume, O Allah, his noble tomb with a fragrant scent of blessing and salutation
(O Allah, exalt him, preserve him and bless him.)

Closing Supplication
Allah, O You whose Hands are [ever] outstretched in bestowal; You who suffice [Your] servant when his hands are raised in supplication; You who immeasurably transcend, in Your Essence and Attributes of Unicity, [having] any peer or any like; You who are alone in Eternity without beginning or end; You besides whom there is none to hope in or rely upon; You upon whose eternally self-sustaining omnipotence mankind depends, and by whose favour those seeking Your guidance and direction are guided! We ask of You, o Allah, by Your holy Lights, which dispel the gloomy darknesses of doubt. We pray to You through the intermediary of the noble Muhammadan Entity, he who was the last of the Prophets in appearance but is the first in significance; through his Family, the [guiding] stars of security for all mankind and the ship of well-being and deliverance;" through his Companions, people of guidance and pre-eminence, who gave [unstintingly] of themselves for Allah in seeking the favour of Allah; and by the upholders of the Sacred Law, possessors of outstanding elite qualities who rejoiced in Allah’s bounty and largesse.
[We ask You] to grant us success in attaining total sincerity of intention in word and deed; to grant that all those present may attain to that which they seek and desire; to free us from the fetters of appetites and sicknesses of the heart; and to realise for us the hopes that we have in You; to suffice [to save] us from all gloom and affliction, and not to make us of those whose caprices cause their downfall; to bring close to us low-hanging, accessible clusters of fruit of the best of Certainty; to erase [from record] every sin we have committed; to fill this gathering of ours, from the treasuries of Your lofty munificence, with mercy and forgiveness; and to maintain in perpetuity our independence of all but You.
O Allah, surely You have given to every petitioner a station and a merit, and to every hopeful one whatever he hoped for. We have asked You hoping for gifts from Your presence. So realize for us what we hope to gain from You.
O Allah, put our apprehensions to rest. Put to rights [both] the leaders and the led. Grant a mighty reward to whoever produced and directed this [source of] goodness today. O Allah, make this land, and all the lands of the Muslims, safe and at ease. Pour down on us rain (ghayth) whose outflow reaches desolate lands and hills. And forgive the weaver of these embroidered Mawlid garments, our master’ Ja'far whose descent and pedigree are traced back to al-Barzanji. Let him attain nearness to You, and grant his hopes and wishes. Make his home and abode to be with those brought nigh [to You]. Conceal for him his faults, his incapacity, his limitations, and his incoherence; and [likewise for all] who write [this Mawlid], or who read it, or whose hearing draws them to listen and pay heed to it.
O Allah, convey blessings and salutations to him who is first in capacity [to perceive] the Epiphany of the Universal Reality, and to his Family and Companions, and to all who aided and supported him — for as long as ears are adorned, by the pearl-like description of him, with pearl ear-rings, and the chests of lofty assemblies are embellished with necklaces of his finery. The choicest blessings and salutations be upon our Master Muhammad, Seal of the Prophets, and upon his House and his Companions one and all. Transcendently Perfect is your Lord, the Lord of Glory, beyond all description. Peace be upon [His] Emissaries. And all praise is for Allah, the Lord and Sustainer of the Universe.